Electric switch



July 18, 1933. J MEUER 1,918,282

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed May 1, 1929 5&1

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY plate shown in Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE J. MEUER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB TO CUTLER-KAI! INC. OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 01' DELAWARE ELECTRIC SWITCH Application filed Kay 1, 1928. Serial No. 359,488.

This invention relates to improvements in electric switches, and more particularly to high capacity switches of the so-called toggle t e.

An object of the invention is to improve the details of construction and assembly of the switch parts whereby reliability in operation and long life of the switches are insured.

Another object is to provide novel switch mechanisms with im roved means to facilitate gang assembly t ereof.

Another object is to provide switch units of like dimensions which are capable of gang assembly to provide novel circuit controlling combinations, while minimizing the number of wiring operations required during installation.

Another object is to minimize the number of parts required in constructing the switch mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates certain embodiments of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the devices illustrated are susceptible of modification without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan view of an assembled gang of switches constructed in accordance with my invention,a portion of the face plate being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the gang of switches shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a sin le pole switch constructed in accordance wit my invention.

Fig. 3 is a lan view of the insulating Fig. 4 is a similar view of a three-point or multiple circuit controlling switch constructed in accordance with m invention.

Fig. 4' is a plan view 0 the insulating plate shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the elements shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of an element common to the devices of Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a view, artly in elevation and partly in section, slibwing the manner of attaching the element of Fig, 6 to the insulating base or plate.

ig. 7 is a perspective view of the center contact and terminal elements shown in Fig. 4, prior to assembling thereof with respect to the base.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a conductive strip adapted to provide a common electrical connection between three switches assembled in gang relation.

Fig. 9 shows a conductive strip which may be employed to connect one of the terminals of a single pole switch and the center terminal of a three-point switch.

Fi 9 shows the preferred manner in whic1 said strip is twisted prior to attachment thereof as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the bridging contactor shown in Fig. 3, and I ig. 11 is a similar view of the bridging contactor shown in F i 4.

Referring first to E gs. 3 and 3' of the drawing, the numeral 15 designates a relatively thin punched plate or base of suitable insulating material, such as bakelite; said plate pre erably being of substantially elliptical contour as shown. The periphery of said plate is provided with a plurality of notches 16 to receive lugs 17 which are integral with a metallic enclosing and spacing 50 member 18,the lugs 17 being bent over the lower face of plate 15 to secure the latter to said member 18. The member 18 may be formed in a well known manner from a single strip of metal having its abutting ends connected by a dove-tail connection or interlock (not shown).

Disk 15 is provided adjacent one end thereof with an elongated substantially rectangular perforation 19, one wall of which is offset slightly, as indicated at 20, to provide a portion of increased width. Perforation 19 is adapted to receive with a snug fit the reduced portion 21 of a one-piece contact and terminal member 22 (best illustrated in Fig. 6). Said reduced portion 21 is provided with an integral boss or projection 23 to en age the wall ortion 20 whereby the-mem er 22 must be riven into said perforation until the shoulders 24 formed by said reduced portion are in engagement with the upper face of plate 15. e portion above the shoulders 24 thus forms one of the stationary contacts of the I switch,and as shown the upper edge of contact 22 is provided with a notch having upwardly diverging sides 26 to receive the movable contactor, as hereinafter described.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 6" the reduced rtion 21 is notched or undercut to provide integral lugs 27 which may be upset or riveted a ainst the lower face of the plate 15 to ri idly secure member 22 thereto. The termin portion 28 is preferably bent at an an le, as illustrated, and the same is provi ed with a tapped opening 29 to receive the usual binding screw 30 after the aforementioned parts have been assembled. A suitable form" of s ring washer 31 is referabl interposed between the screw ead and a terminal member.

Disk 15 is provided adjacent to its other end with a relatively shorter rectangular perforation 32 which is adapted to receive the reduced or terminal portion 33 of a .se'cond combined contact and terminal member 34, best shown in Fig. 5. A portion 35 of member 34 is adapted to lie flatwise against the upper surface of plate 15, said portion being provided with a perforation 36 adapted to register with a perforation 37 in plate 15, and through which erforations arivet 38' extends to secure sai member to plate 15. Integral with portion 35 and extending upwardly at substantially right angles thereto is the contact portion 39, the upper edge of which is notched, as indicated at 39','to provide clearance for an oscillatable bridging contactor 40.

' contactor 40 is preferably of channel shape and comprises a flat bottom wall 41 and upwardly extending slightly diver ent walls 42 and 43. At the upper edges 0 walls 42 and 43 are integral outwardly extending lugs 42 and 43', said lugs having upstruck arcuate portions 42 and 43 which are re- 'spectively adapted to engage the pivot portions 44 and 45 of contact 34, on opposite sides of notch 39'. Thus the contactor 40 is adapted to be at all times in pivotal engagement with contact portion 39, and in one extreme ition-thereof the same is likewise adap to engage the contact portion 25 for circuit closing, as shown in Fi 3, whereas in the other extreme (or circuit breaking) position of said contactor the latter is disengaged from contact portion 25 and the downwardly bent end 46 thereof is engaged contactor 40 in each direction is thus definitely limited.

The aforementioned oscillatory movement of contactor 40 is effected by means of an I oscillatory actuating lever the handle porp tion of which is designated by the numeral 1 parts it wi with the plate 15. Oscillating movement of 47. Handle portion 47 is provided with an annular projection or collar 48 below which is a neck portion 49 which is guided in a slot 50 in the switch supporting plate 51. That portion of plate 51 including slot 50 is bulged outwardly as indicated to provide a bearing socket 52 for the spherical enlargement 53 of the actuating lever. The slot 50 isenlarged intermediate its ends, as indicated at 54 (Fig. 1 to permit passage therethrough of the ban 1e portion 47 and collar 48 whereby the enlargement 53 may be seated against said bearing.

The 0 posite end of the actuating lever is provide with a relativel deep counterbore 55 within which is seate a coiled compression spring 56, one end of which engages a substantially cylindrical insulatin member 57 and tends to expel the latter rom said counterbore. One end of member 57 is preferably reduced, as indicated at 58, to insure centering of the spring with respect thereto, and the other end is preferably of tapered or frusto-conical form, as indicated at 59, to properly coact with the movable contactor 40.

As best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the inner face of supporting plate 51 is substantially flat, but as shown in Fig. 1 the outer face thereof is provided with a lurality of slight depressions 60 to provide or flush reception of the attaching lugs 61 which are bent inwardly from the upper edge of member 18 in the final assembly of the parts.

Assuming closed positioning of the switch 1 be apparent that upon upward movement of handle 47 the end 59 of insulating member 57 will slide downwardly over the bottom surface 41 of the channel-shaped contactor at the same time further increasingthe degree of compression of spring 56. When the end 59 has moved across the pivotal center 44 45 of the contactor the spring reacts to eiiect q uick movement of the contactor to off position, wherein the downwardly bent end 46 of the contactor engages the in sulating plate. Upon reverse movement of handle 47 the contactor is similarly moved with a quick action to on position, as will be obvious.

Certain of the parts employed in constructing the three-point or multiple circuit controlling switch of Fig. 4 are identical with those described in connection with the switch illustrated in Fig. 3, and such parts have been given like reference numerals. However, in this instance two of the one-piece contact and terminal members 22 are employed, said members being merely reversed in relation to each other and arranged at opposite ends of the insulating plate 15'; said plate being pro vided with duplicate perforations 19 for this purpose.

Midway between the perforations 19 in late 15 is a relatively smaller rectangular perforation 62, and a U-shaped supporting contact member 63 which overlies late tion 66 which extends upwardly through said perforations and is riveted over the bottom portion ofmember 63, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to secure said parts in position. Member 65 is preferably provided with sharp edges 67 which bite into the lower face of plate 15" as a result of the riveting operation, and said member is likewise provided with a tapped opening 68 to receive theusual bindin screw.

The u wardly extending sides 69 and 70 of 1 U-shape member 63 are arranged in parallel relation to the contact portions 25 of members 22, and said sides are respectively provided with notches 69 and 70 to looselyv receive the angularly disposed arms 71 and 72 of a bridging contactor 7'3 which is channelshapedin cross section. The substantially flat bottom walls 71 and 7 2" of the contactor arms converge into a concavity 74, whereby upon intermediate positioning of the actuating lever the end 59 of cylindrical insulating member 57 engages said concavity to positively hold the contactor in its intermediate or neutral positionin which the arms 71 and 72 seat against the bottom surfaces of notches 69" and 0.

Upon movement of the actuating lever to the position illustrated in Fig. 4 the end 59 of insulating member 57 is moved out of the concavity 74 and across the pivotal center of the contactor rovided by the bottom wall of notch 69 with the result that the energy stored within spring 56 by such relative movement of the parts will efiect quick movement of the contactor arm 71 into engagement 'with the walls of notch 26 in the upper stationary contact 25. Upon reverse movement of the actuating lever the contactor is again moved with a quick action to its intermediate or off position, whereas continued reverse movement of the actuating lever will effect quick tilting movement of the contactor arm 72 into engagement with the walls of the notch 26 in the lower stationary contact'25.

In order to prevent longitudinal displacement of the contactor during the aforedescribed'movements I preferably provide the same with outwardly and downwardly extending integral lugs'7 5 and 76 which are retained in place by engagement thereof with the sides'69 and 70 of the intermediate contact member 63 while permitting such tilting movements of the contactor.

As shown in Figs. '1 and 2 the supporting plates 51 each com rises a section of a metallic strip 77 where y any number'of switch units may be readily assembled in gang relation; said sections being partially divided by means of elongated slots or perforations 78, and each section being provided with perforations 79 to accommodate the usual fastening screws or bolts 80. Thus in the gang assembly illustrated the strip 77 is cut to include four supporting plate sections and a cover plate 81 aving raised portions 82 to accommodate the raised portions of the supporting plate and slots 83 to accommodate the switch handles 47 is provided.

Moreover, as illustrated in Fig. 2 the three terminal members 28 of a corresponding number of the single pole switches are electrically connected to each other by means of a conductive strip 84 (see Fig. 8), said strip having perforations 85 to provide for'clamping of the strip b means of the usual binding screws 30, an said strip bein provided with notches 86 or other form 0 weakened portions to facilitate severance of the desired length thereof. The other terminals 33 of said switches provide for connection thereofin the individual circuits to be controlled thereby.

The terminals 28 are further connected by means of a conductive strip '87 with the intermediate terminal 65 of the three-point switch, the opposite ends of said strip having perforations 88 to provide for clamping thereof in position and the intermediate portion thereof being capable of twisting as shown to facilitate attachment to said terminals. In the particular gang of switches illustrated the terminals 28 of the three-point switch may be connected ina manner to provide for selective control of circuits for bright or dim illumination of automobile headlights, and the respective terminals 33 of the other switches may be connected. to various other circuits the continuity ofwhich it is desired to selectively control. Various other combinations of switches and modifications in the wiring thereof will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric switch, in combination, a thin unched plate of insulating material, sai plate having a plurality of substantially rectangular openings, a plurality of one-piece combined contact and terminal members, the terminal portions of certain of said members being of reduced width to permit passage thereof downwardlythrough said openings and the contact portions thereof being provided with shoulders to enga e the upper surface of said plate, one of sai portions of reduced width being undercut at opposite side edges thereof to provide integral lugs which may be upset against the lower surface of said'plate to rigidly secure the respective member thereto, and said last mentioned portion also having a boss formed thereon to insure a drive fit thereof within the respective opening.

2. In an electric switch, in combination, a thin punched plate of insulating material,

said plate having a plurality of substantially rectangular o nings, a plurality of onepiece combine contact and terminal members, the terminal portions of certain of said members being of reduced width to permit passage thereof downwardly through said openings and the contact portions thereof being provided with shoulders to engage the upper surface of said plate, one of said portions of reduced width being undercut at 0pposite side edges thereof to provide integral lugs which may be upset against the lower surface of said plate to rigidly secure the respective member thereto, said last mentioned portion also havin a boss formed thereon to insure a drive t thereof within the respective opening, and one of said last mentioned members having a bridging contactor loosely and tiltably supported directly thereby. I

3. In an electric switch, in combination, a thin punched plate of insulating material, said plate having a plurality of perforations, a plurality of one-piece combined contact and terminal members, the terminal portions of certain of said members being of reduced width to permit passage thereof through said erforations and the contact portions thereof being provided with shoulders to engage one face of said plate, certain of said portions of reduced width being notched to provide integral lugs which may be upset against the other face of said plate to rigidly secure the respective member thereto, one of the switch contact members having a channel-shaped bridging contactor loosely and tiltably supported thereby, thebottom surface of said contactor being flat with the sides diverging therefrom, and another of said contact members having a notch with upwardly diverging sides to receive said contactor.

4. In an electric switch, the combination with a flat punched plate of insulating material, said plate having an elongated substantially rectangular perforation, one wall of said perforation being slightly offset intermediate the ends thereof, a single member formed a strip metal having a reduced portion adapted to snugly fit within said perforation and the shoulders formed by said reduced portion being adapted to seat against one face of said insulating plate, said reduced portion being notched beneath the other face of said plate to provide integral lugs which may be upset against the last mentioned face of said plate to rigidly secure said member thereto, and said member having an integral boss or projection to provide a wedge fit against said offset wall of the perforation when said parts are in assembled relation.

5. In an electric switch, thecombination with a flat unched plate of insulating material, said p ate having an elongated substantially rectangular perforation, one wall of said perforation being slightly offset intermediate the ends thereof, a single member formed of strip metal having a reduced portion adapted to snugly fit within said perforation and the shoulders formed by said reduced portion being adapted to seat against one face of said insulating plate, said reduced portion being notched beneath the other face of said plate to provide integral lugs which may be upset against the last mentioned face of said plate to rigidly secure said member thereto, said member having an integral boss or projection to rovide a wedge fit against said offset wall 0 the perforation when said parts are in assembled relation, and the portion of said member above said shoulders being provided with a notch having upwardly diverging sides to cooperate with the movable contact of the switch.

6. In an electric switch, in combination, a relatively thin punched late of insulating material, said plate having a plurality of substantially rectangular perforations arranged in parallel relation, a single member formed of strip metal having a reduced portion adapted to snugly fit within one of said perforations and the shoulders formed by said reduced portion being adapted to seat against one face of said insulating plate, opposite edges of said reduced portion being notched beneath the other face of said plate to provide integral lugs which may be u set against the last mentioned face of said p ate to rigidly secure said member thereto, a second member formed of strip meta l having a reduced portion to penetrate another of said perforations, the shouldered portion of said last mentioned member lyin fiat against the upper face of said plate an riveted thereto, and a contact portion extending upwardly at right angles to said shouldered portion and havin a tiltable bridging contactor supporte thereby.

7. In an electric switch, in combination, a relatively thin punch plate of insulating material, said plate having a plurality of substantially rectangular perforations arranged in paral el relation, a single member formed of strip metal having a reduced portion adapted to snugly fit within one of said perforations and the shoulders formed by said reduced portion being adapted to seat against one face of said insulating plate, opposite edges of said reduced portion being notched beneath the other face of said plate to provide integral lugs which may be upset a ainst the last mentioned face of said plate to rigidly secure said member thereto, a second member formed of strip metal having a reduced portion to penetrate another of said perforations, the shouldered portion of said last mentioned member lying flat against the upper face of said plate and riveted thereto, and a contact portion extending upwardly at right angles to said shouldered portion,

said contact portion being notched to accommodate a channel-shaped bridging cont actor having outwardly extending arcuate lugs to pivotally engage said contact portion on opposite sides of the notch.

8. In an electric switch, in combination, a relatively thin punched plate of insulating material, said plate having a pluralty of substantially rectangular perforations arrange in parallel relation, a single member formed of strip metal having a. reduced portion adapted to snugly fit within one of said perforations and the shoulders formed by said reduced portion being adapted to seat against one face of said insulating plate, opposite edges of said reduced portion being notched beneath the other face of said plate to provide integral lugs which may be upset against the last mentioned face of said plate to rigidly secure said member thereto, a second member formed of strip metal having a reduced portion to penetrate the other of said perforations, the shouldered portion of said last mentioned member lying flat against the upper face of said plate and riveted thereto, and a contact portion extending upwardly at right angles to said shouldered portion, said contact portion being notched to accommodate a channel-shaped bridging contactor having outwardly extending arcuate lugs to pivotally engage said contact portion on opposite sides of the notch, pivotal movement of said contactor in one direction being limited by engagement thereof with the contact portion of said first mentioned member and pivotal movement in the opposite direction being limited by engagement of said contactor with said insulating plate.

GEORGE J. MEUER. 

